A conference with a theist part I / by William Nicholls.

THE PREFACE TO THE READER.

HAving oftentimes with Grief considered the mighty Progress, which Atheism and Infidelity have made in this Age; I thought it was highly necessary that those who by their Profession had made them∣selves Teachers and Defenders of the Chri∣stian Faith, ought not to spend their whole time in inforcing the Morality of its Pre∣cepts, and in confuting Innovations made in its Doctrine and Government; but were obliged sometimes to afford their Aid towards the overthrowing those Principles which tend to the total subversion of our common Christianity. Socinians, Papists, and Schismaticks, it is true, are guilty of very grievous and dangerous Errours, but

yet the worst of them maintain some part of the Ground-work of Christianity still; but Atheists who deny a God, and Theists who disown a Revelation, make our whole Religion an Imposture, and all that have to do with it either Cheats or Fools. So that we that are Ministers of the Gospel, are highly concerned to use the utmost of our force, against these Opinions, which debauch and damn so many Men, whose Souls we have the charge of, which tend to the discredit and total overthrow of our Profession, and expose our Persons to all the foolish scoffs of idle Men. Nay farther, there is the greatest danger from these In∣fidel Doctrines, because they are espoused by Men of all Parties, and by many of those who join themselves with some particular Body of Christians; for it is easy to ob∣serve, a great many men railing bit∣terly against Papists or Phanaticks, when they believe no more of Jesus Christ, than they do of Transubstantiation; and have no more liking to the Gospel, than to a long Canting Sermon. Now because such In∣fidels lie herded among divers Sects of Christians, as they are not so easily dis∣cerned, so they are not so vigorously oppo∣sed; and by this means they have of late gained such strength, that now they

begin to look formidable. It is dreadful to think what numbers of Men are poisoned by Infidel Principles; for Atheism and The∣ism are now got from the Court to the Ex∣change, they begin to talk them in Shops and Stalls, and the Cavils of Spinosa and Hobbs are grown common, even to the very Rabble. But the greatest encouragement which Infidelity meets with, is from some Philosophical Gentlemen, who find that the Scripture seems to contradict some No∣tions in Philosophy, which they have espous∣ed, or some Experiments which they are per∣swaded of the Truth of; and therefore for that reason, they will disbelieve that and all Revealed Religion. Now some of these Gentlemen, being Men of Parts and Let∣ters, and able to manage an Argument, they generally set upon some unlearned Chri∣stian; they puzzle and confound him with Philosophick Terms and Experiments, and with a Set of Jests and Bantering Expres∣sions against Scripture; and when thus they have beat the poor Man out of his Road, they think they have for ever tri∣umphed over Christianity.

—Pudet haec opprobria nobis Et dici potuisse, & non potuisse refelli.

These Considerations have put me upon Writing this Dialogue, and have encoura∣ged

me to consider the chief of their Argu∣ments, which they are wont to make use of in their Discourse, or which have been pub∣lished of late in Theistical Writings: to the end that well-meaning and religious Men, whose Leisure or Education will not let them search so narrowly into these Di∣sputes, may from this Treatise be furnished with sufficient Answers to such Infidel Ar∣guments. Now the Objections which are urged in this Dialogue, are part of them taken from the Discourse of some Deists I have casually conversed with; but are mostly taken out of a Book lately pub∣lished, called Oracles of Reason, the first Book I ever saw which did openly avow In∣fidelity. This I had some thoughts once to have wrote a set Answer to, but I found it was so sillily and loosely wrote, that upon more serious consideration I could not think it did deserve one. As to that Book, it is a Collection made up of a few Letters wrote between some Sparks at London, and of some Translations made out of one or two Greek and Latin Books. All that is considerable in it, and which carries any face of Argument and Learning, is drawn out of two well-meaning Authors, who I believe had no design against Christianity, but only to

advance their two several Hypotheses they were wedded to. The first was the Author of the Hypothesis of the Praeada∣mites* 1.1, who seriously repented of his Book and his Errour before he died; the other is the Ingenious and Learned Author of the Archaeologiae Philosophicae. And this makes up the far greatest part of the Book. But by the way we cannot but observe the great Disingenuity of Mr. Blount, who is the chiefest of these Epistlers, who takes no manner of notice of the Author of the Prae∣adamitae, from whom he not only takes, but translates all that is material almost in all his Letters: For in his first Letter to Mr. Gildon, from p. 8. to the end (i. e.) p. 19. there is nothing but a verbal Tran∣slation out of that Treatise, save only a word or two p. 15. interposed about Bishop Taylor; and so again p. 218. to p. 226. out of the same Author, and nothing of his own, but some false Latins and Spellings, and ill Translations. But to give the Reader a cast how fit these Gentlemen are to encounter with Christia∣nity, which stands established by its own Evidence, and the Writings of so many Learned Men; let him cast his Eye upon the last Page of that Book, where Mr. Blount has translated a Quotation out of

Scaliger de Emend. brought by the Au∣thor of the Praeadamitae; now he tran∣slates Octingenties octagies, not eight hun∣dred and eighty, but eight hundred and eightscore; as if the Romans had used to reckon by scores. He might altogether as well have made them number by Bakers-Dozens.

As for the Objections I have taken out of this Book, I have not always kept my self strictly to the words I found there, but chief∣ly to the sence; because otherwise sometimes the Argument would be too long, and some∣times too obscure. I have generally dressed up the Arguments with that little varnish which they usually appear in from the Mouths of Infidels; because for the most part their frothy Wit is the principal Part of their Objection; and therefore I have made Phi∣lologus talk all along in their Vein, least otherways they might pretend the Argument was marred. And this I hope will excuse me to those Pious Ears, for those bold and Irreligious Expressions, they will meet with∣al in the Mouth of my Deist; which they must consider are not mine, but theirs; and to be repeated in the Person of an Infidel, I hope will not appear Grating or Prophane.

There is one thing in the last place which I would desire the Reader's Candor in, and that is my Explication of the Mosaick Creation of the Stars, a little out of the

way of other Interpreters; which I would let him know, I do not deliver as my setled Opinion, by any Dogmatical Assertion, but only propound it Problematically, as a possible way of accounting for the relation of Moses, which destroys the Infidels charge of Impossibility; and which at last I leave to the Reader's Judgment, either to re∣ceive or to reject.

And suppose this Hypothetical Scheme not to be exactly true, which I am not very eager to contend for; the cause of Religion will not suffer by it, nor the Infidels reap any advantage from it. This is only a Point of Philosophy and not Revelation; and if there be any Errour in it, I am to suffer for it and not Moses. If this Hy∣pothesis be possible, it proves as much as is aimed at; for any way of shewing how Moses his Account may be, is a good proof a∣gainst those who assert it impossible to be.

It is my hearty Prayer to God, that these my weak endeavours may contribute something towards the abating the Preva∣lency of this sort of Infidelity; which if they shall do, I shall then reap an ample Recompence of this small Trouble; and I shall be encouraged to publish the Remain∣der of this Discourse, which is to vindicate the other parts of Christianity, from the like Exceptions and Blasphemies of the Infidels.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Vid. Ol∣denburgi Collecta∣nea ad Conringii Thesaur. Rerump.